Haiti’s biggest celebration of the year, Carnival, has been canceled after deadly protests and gunfire interrupted the first day of festivities in Port-au-Prince, leaving at least one person dead.
Haiti’s vibrant Carnival draws thousands every year for mass celebrations. But the three-day festival was cut short after gunshots were heard and people ran for cover in the nation’s capital over the weekend.
“In order to avoid a planned bloodshed, the Government takes the opportunity to inform the population that the carnival has been canceled in Port-au-Prince and invites the Haitian people to remain calm while waiting for the next announcements,” a statement from Haiti’s communication ministry read on Sunday. Continue reading